The present invention relates generally to telecommunications systems and methods, and more particularly, a system and method that incorporates computer software to all multiple individuals to share a human secretary without the caller being aware that the secretary is being shared.
Today""s businesses are relying more and more on telecommunications systems to help manage their interaction with others. Customer service and the access to key employees often determine how a company is perceived. Businesses want to reduce their customer service costs by enabling their employees to maintain a maximum number of calls and reduce their idle time to a minimum. Conventional or prior art methods typically employ ACD (automatic call distribution) services or voice mail in conjunction with automated attendants.
Conventional ACD systems are designed to handle large volumes of calls and provide a necessary service to large businesses. ACD systems route incoming telephone calls to a pool of agents or to a specific agent based on the telephone number dialed by the customer, information entered by the customer, or the customer""s phone number. In certain instances when all agents are busy, ACD systems can hold the call in a queue, prompt the caller to leave a voice message for a later call back, or redirect the call to another group of agents with a shorter queue time. Data on the number of calls and the length of wait can also be monitored in ACD networks to determine proper loading of agents.
Automated telephone answering systems have been employed by many small to mid-sized companies to off-load work from live operators to the callers. The caller enters information using touch tones or the caller""s voice. The computer analyzes customer input information and completes certain commands. For instance, an automated attendant may be programmed to answer a call, xe2x80x9cThank You for calling company XYZ. If you know your party""s extension please enter it now.xe2x80x9d Once the extension has been entered the call will be connected to the party""s line or voice mail.
For small businesses and companies with departments remotely located, the need for a full-time secretary to answer incoming phone calls may not be needed or may not be affordable. Employing an ACD system or an automated attendant may not be the best solution for these smaller businesses. First, ACD systems are designed to handle large volumes of calls for large businesses and consequently are expensive. Also, some conventional ACD systems and automated attendants have automated menus that are often an annoyance to customers and callers. Customers and callers may often find it difficult connecting with a live operator. Any negative feeling on the caller""s behalf can have detrimental effects on how the company is perceived.
In addition to the impersonal nature of automated attendants and ACD systems, these systems do not access dynamic information regarding the called person and the caller. If the called person is unavailable, voice mail is activated. Information regarding the availability of the called person or an alternate means of contact is not available. Such information may be very helpful to the caller in the event called person is not available. In turn, disseminating information regarding the caller to called person may aid the called person with the needs of the caller.
Therefore, a need exists for an affordable telecommunication system designed specifically for small businesses. Such a system should maintain the personal feel of a human secretary while reducing the amount of idle time experienced by the human secretary. The system should also have access to information regarding the caller and the called person. This information should enable the: secretary and the called person to be of more assistance to the caller. Ultimately, such a system should preserve the personal feel of a live secretary, yet should be informative and cost-effective.
The present invention provides a telecommunications system and method for processing incoming telephone calls to a group of individuals at small businesses or remotely located sites that substantially eliminates or reduces disadvantages and problems associated with previously developed ACD systems and methods used for processing and distributing incoming telephone calls.
Specifically, the present invention is a system and method for receiving calls for a plurality of persons. The system receives an incoming telephone call at a communications host, such as a PBX, from a caller for a called person and queries a database for a set of information regarding the called person. The database can include information for each individual supported by present invention. The system can then query the status of the called person""s phone line and announce to the caller some information regarding the called person. The system then forwards the incoming telephone call, the status of the called person""s phone line, and the set of information regarding the called person to a display screen of a human secretary, who then answers the incoming telephone call.
The present invention provides an important technical advantage by enabling a small company to maximize personnel efforts by minimizing idle time. A small business, a group of small businesses, or a group of remotely located persons may share the cost of the human secretary.
Another important technical advantage is the present invention introduces the human secretary as the first line of interaction with the caller. Should the human secretary""s line be busy, the caller has the option to hold for the secretary or be directly connected to the called person""s line. Further, the present invention presents the human secretary as the personal secretary to the called person. Utilizing the present invention, the small business provides the appearance of more dedicated service to the caller.
Still another important technical advantage is the present invention provides the human secretary with information from a called-person database. This database provides information about the called person to the human secretary""s display screen. The human secretary then uses the information regarding the called person when communicating with the caller.
The option of including a caller database in the present invention provides yet another technical advantage. The caller database provides information to the human secretary at the human secretary""s display screen. The human secretary then disseminates the information regarding the caller to the called person verbally or through the called person""s display screen.
Another technical advantage of the present invention is that the telephone number of the called person is not only forwarded to the human secretary, but it is also used by the system to establish a connection towards the called person. Since the human secretary has to deal with a plurality of called persons, it can be expected that the human secretary may confuse the numbers of the called persons. Therefore, a simple means, like a one-button transfer, helps to prevent a connection to the wrong called person. For instance, pressing a specific button would always connect to the correct called person.